Over the reading break, I decided to try something I’ve always wanted to do: learn how to play the piano.
Growing up, I was constantly surrounded by Bollywood classics. Listening to Rahat Fateh Ali Khan to start off my day was a ritual, without which my day would not start off on the right foot.
I often dreamed of creating something that could stir emotions in others, much like the music I loved, which is how I ended up writing. Last week, I tried my hand at the object of my fascination — the piano on the first floor of my building. I started by practicing the songs I grew up listening to, and after a few days, I took a shot at “Für Elise” and then Mozart’s Symphony No. 40.
When I sat down to practice my skills at the piano, I experienced firsthand the manner in which my brain was opening up to new pathways. The more I heard myself play, and the more I heard new music, the better I could focus and memorise. Little did I know, I had just jumped down a rabbit hole of knowledge and this simple decision would lead me to discover a centuries old concept: the Mozart Effect.
The Mozart Effect is a theory, coined by Alfred A. Tomatis in 1993, that explains how listening to classical music has positive effects on the brain, boosting brain performance and enhancing cognitive abilities. But how much of it is backed by scientific evidence? Can this concept hold up under the scrutiny of science? Is classical music all you need to unlock the realm of genius?
Tomatis claimed that listening to Mozart’s compositions could enhance an individual’s spatial-temporal reasoning abilities. He backed himself up by referencing research that explained how this activity would light up certain areas of the brain associated with problem solving and pattern recognition. Tomatis’ initial studies indicated that Mozart’s symphonies would temporarily improve the functioning of one’s brain. However, later studies revealed that the effect was not as dramatic as implied; they were modest at best.
Despite the controversy surrounding this theory, Mozart soon took the world of music by storm and became a cultural phenomenon. People, under the false impression that this genre of music would make them smarter, started buying CDs that claimed that they would get a higher IQ just by attentively listening to them.
Although Tomatis’ theory is not as magical as thought to be at the beginning, the benefits of listening to classical music go beyond mere brain stimulation.
Listening to soothing classical tunes right before bed has been linked to improved sleep quality. In a study conducted in Switzerland with a group of 27 female subjects, it was found that listening to relaxing music can help one fall asleep faster and experience better sleep quality. Sleep, in turn, will naturally improve your cognitive performance and emotional regulation. Moreover, the wide range of emotional tones that classical music can carry, from melancholic and reflective to uplifting and joyous, can help reduce anxiety and improve mood by way of emotional engagement. Listening to classical music during situations of higher stress levels can also help manage a high heart rate and blood pressure.
I have always listened to Lo-Fi instrumental music while studying. While I attributed this habit to the lack of lyrics helping me concentrate, I have thus realised that it is in fact the presence of classical tunes that helps me focus. The complexities in the rhythm and notes have trained my brain to engage in focused attention.
There is much more to music than entertainment. On a surface level, it does boost your cognitive growth. But it’s not just about listening – it's about engaging with music from a reflective lens, the act of which can enhance your personal development.
Despite the false promises people in the 90s fell prey to, it’s not just Mozart that invigorates you, it’s every artist who has composed a piece pleasing to the ear, even if it is seemingly simple. While the Mozart Effect stands true in explanations of brain stimulation, there is no proof for the theory that it makes you smarter.
I believe this is where the octave of scientific justification for music ends. It is all encompassing, ethereal, and enigmatic. Music, much like science, is ever-evolving. Major chords signal happiness while minor chords signal sadness, in simple terms. It is, however, hard to fathom for an average appreciator of music why certain chords energise you instantly and some notes trigger emotional responses. Music happens to be an infinite concept, one that cannot be contained in definitions of science.
Ultimately, music is not heard; it is felt — in a realm that transcends scientific logic. Whether it ameliorates cognition or touches the soul, its effects cannot be confined to a few principles. The Mozart Effect remains a mystifying phenomenon, one that science cannot capture fully.
1 Plessis, S. du. (2023, December 2). Mozart effect or Mozart Myth? - edublox online tutor. Edublox Online Tutor | Development, Reading, Writing, and Math Solutions. Link
2 Cordi, M. J., Ackermann, S., & Rasch, B. (2019, June 24). Effects of relaxing music on Healthy Sleep. Scientific reports. Link
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